Shanghai Redemption by Qiu Xiaolong

Author:Qiu Xiaolong
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781466871847
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

FOURTEEN

AROUND SIX THIRTY THAT night, Chen stood in a crowded subway train to Pudong. With people pushing in and out at every stop, he had a hard time holding on to the overhead handrails.

After the call from Old Hunter, Chen had mulled over his decision to spend the night in Shanghai. It was possible to travel to Suzhou and back again, getting in to Shanghai tomorrow morning. But an unexpected delay would wreck the plan, and he couldn’t afford to be late for tomorrow morning’s meeting in the park. The retired cop might be dramatic, but he knew what was at stake.

If Old Hunter had something new, Chen would be able to show Qian that progress was being made. Perhaps in return, she would try to find out more for him.

But that wasn’t the only reason for staying in Shanghai. He was concerned about his mother, and it was reassuring to be in the city, somewhat nearby, in case he was needed.

But it wasn’t advisable to stay at his own apartment, and he couldn’t stay at Yu’s place, for the same reason. A hotel wasn’t an option, given that all hotel registrations were monitored. So he was going to see Overseas Chinese Lu. An old schoolmate and friend, Lu owned a large luxury apartment near Century Park and had invited Chen over several times. Even showing up unannounced, Chen would be a welcome guest at the Lus, who would most likely urge him to spend the night. Also, since Lu knew nothing about Chen’s troubles, there wouldn’t be many questions for him to answer.

He was reminded of an old Chinese simile used to describe a hopeless situation in which one has nowhere to go—like a homeless dog. The Party system, on which he’d once thought he could fall back, now seemed more like an omnipresent, omnipotent surveillance camera, following his every move.

He was then beginning to have second thoughts about the visit to Lu, who could be an overenthusiastic host, which was not something he was looking forward to.

The subway station announcements came every two or three minutes. He glanced up at the blinking station map opposite him. The train was now passing through the tunnel under the river, and the next stop was Lujiazui.

There he found himself moving toward the door.

White Cloud had told him about her new apartment in Lujiazui. He wasn’t going to ask her to put him up for the night, he reassured himself. He just wanted to drop in for a short visit. It was on the way to Lu’s.

What Qian had told him about the Heavenly World’s law firm was a potential lead, and White Cloud might be able to tell him something more about it. She might also know some other details that she hadn’t shared in her earlier phone call. Walking out of the subway in Lujiazui, he thought of a phrase he’d read years earlier—the way up is the way down. Why did he think of that phrase now? He had no idea.

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